The present invention relates to a glass sheet and a glass window used in vehicles such as automobiles.
In a glass window for vehicles such as automobiles, a glass sheet is usually fixed to a window frame by the edge thereof being supported by a molding. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12, a glass sheet 51 may be fixed to a vehicle body 60 by inserting a bolt 56 into a hole penetrating a glass sheet 51, and fixing the glass sheet 51 to the vehicle body 60 via a cushion 58 with the bolt 56 and a nut 57. Although forming a hole in the glass sheet is required, there is no need to prepare a window frame to which the glass sheet is fixed in this glass window. Therefore, such a window is more advantageous because of a higher degree of flexibility in the design of the vehicle body.
On the other hand, in the field of vehicles, especially, automobiles, an attempt to provide a vehicle body with a flush surface has been made in order to reduce air resistance and eliminate wind noise. As shown in FIG. 13, a glass window having a glass sheet 52 and a supporting member flush with a vehicle body 50 has been proposed. In the glass window, a resin 53 is extruded directly at an edge of the glass sheet 52. As shown in FIG. 13, a ceramic mask 55 often is formed on the glass sheet 52 in order to prevent the attached portion from being seen from the outside.
However, no effective method for a flush surface has been proposed for a glass window in which a glass sheet is fixed to a vehicle body by utilizing a hole. The head of a bolt for fixing a glass sheet entirely protrudes from the surface of the glass sheet when the glass window is used.
On the other hand, in a resin window using a resin sheet, methods for a flush surface other than that shown in FIG. 13 have been proposed (e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Tokkai-Sho) No.63-82814, Japanese Utility Model Publication No.3-98115, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Tokkai-Hei) No.7-137535). However, a resin sheet is inherently different from a glass sheet, which is a brittle material. Unlike the glass sheet, the surface of a resin sheet is susceptible to scars. In the resin sheet, the problem of surface hardness is more significant than the problem of strength. Therefore, when considering the glass window for vehicles, in general, those skilled in the art have not referred to the resin window for vehicles produced with a resin sheet.
The present invention has an object of providing a glass window for vehicles in which a glass sheet is fixed to a body of a vehicle by utilizing a hole that has a reduced protrusion of a supporting member, such as a bolt, from the surface of th e g lass sheet. The present invention has another object of providing a glass sheet suitable for such a glass window for vehicles. In order to achieve the object of the present invention, a glass sheet of the present invention includes a hole formed in the glass sheet for attachment of the glass sheet to a body of a vehicle. The hole includes a through hole and a thin part where a thickness of the glass sheet is reduced. The thin part is formed in contact with the through hole.
Such a glass sheet constitutes a glass window for vehicles in which a protrusion of a supporting member from the surface of the glass sheet can be reduced by utilizing the thin part of the glass sheet. More specifically, for example, when a glass sheet is fixed with a bolt, the head of the bolt is fitted in the thin part of the glass sheet, so that the protrusion of the head of the bolt can be reduced. The glass sheet can constitute a glass window in which the protrusion of the supporting member is eliminated so that the supporting member is substantially flush with the glass. sheet.
In one embodiment of the glass sheet of the present invention, the shortest distance between a periphery of the hole in the glass sheet and an edge of the glass sheet is preferably at least twice the thickness of the glass sheet. According to this preferred embodiment, the degradation of the strength of the glass sheet due to forming the hole can be suppressed.
Furthermore, in one embodiment of the glass sheet of the present invention, the glass sheet is preferably a tempered glass sheet. A difference between a thickness of the glass sheet and a thickness of the thin part is preferably 0.5 mm or more. The thickness of the thin part is preferably larger than a half of the thickness of the glass sheet. This preferred embodiment provides a glass sheet that is suitable to allow a glass window for vehicles to have a flush surface and is ensured the strength necessary as a window frame.
Furthermore, in another embodiment of the glass sheet of the present invention, the periphery of the hole preferably does not form an exact circle. According to this preferred embodiment, it is possible to constitute a glass window for vehicles useful in the prevention of stealing goods in the vehicle.
Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-described object, a glass window for vehicles of the present invention comprises the glass sheet of the present invention and a supporting member fitted in the hole for supporting the glass sheet.
Such a glass window for vehicles makes it possible to suppress the protrusion of the supporting member from the surface of the glass sheet and allow a flush surface of the glass window for vehicles with the glass sheet fixed by utilizing the hole.